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Xmas Projects

greglloyd

By greglloyd
in DIY Astronomer

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greglloyd

greglloyd

Posted
Posted

I don't know about the rest of you, but getting off for a fortnight around Xmas usually gets me into hobby project mode. Astro and RC helicopters are my two main hobbies. Last year the helicopters got my time, but this year I'd like to do some scope mods.

Usually I have a few ideas spring to mind throughout the year that I never get round to doing, so Xmas is the opportunity to bring some to a realisation.

Do you have any projects you plan to start over Xmas?

The little projects I want to do are :-

1. Get a cooling fan made up for the 12". It currently has no cooling. So I am looking for a smooth 12 volt fan, a simple fan controller, and some way to connect that to a cigarette lighter plug. Does anyone have any particular fans, controllers, or cables in mind?

2. Make a dew shield. I've been looking around on eBay and have found some black neoprene sold in various sheet sizes and thicknesses. Was planning to go for 400mm by 2 metres and cut that down to 400mm by 1.2 metres (the circumference of the scope). Not sure about the ideal thickness but was thinking about 3mm roughly? Going to stick a strip of velcro at one end, and that should do the job.

3. My primary mirror is misting up sometimes as it is stored in the shed. I'm currently using a hair dryer which brings the mirror up sparkly new again, but I'm a little concerned about the moisture attacking the optics during the overnight hours. I've been thinking about a dew heater, but so far the main product I've seen is the Kendrick primary mirror heater. This sits between the primary mirror and the mirror cell and is the full size of the mirror. Now that sounds like a good product, but I've only just had the mirror out for a wash and don't fancy having to remove it again until the next time it needs a wash. 

Does anyone here heat their primary mirror in a Newt / Dob - and if so, what are you using? I doubt that a dew heater strip around the OTA at the mirror end would be effective as I'm presuming that's more effective for an SCT corrector plate whereas a primary mirror is within it's cell and well away from the actual OTA tube?

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hughgilhespie

hughgilhespie

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Posted

Hi Greg,

I am in the middle of building a 12 inch scope and I will be fitting a fan and fan speed controller. I bought the fan and controller from fleabay. The links are:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380828892344?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/311047221642?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

The fan was chosen because it's a very quiet model. However, when it came I found out it also had bright blue LEDs fitted - for the children who have to have sparkly lights  I suppose. Still, a quick modification with a pair of pliers sorted that out.  The fan plugs into the controller and it gives a good range of speeds. My idea - not tested - is to leave the fan running on slow speed while using the scope.

Good luck with the Christmas projects.

Regards, Hugh

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sbooder

sbooder

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Posted

My only project for over the xmas period is the power mod for the EQ6.  I have the parts but am waiting on a 16mm drill bit. 

And no I have never found a need to heat the Primary.  I have a flocked OTA and the baffle for my cooling fan is made of foam matting and provides adequate insulation.

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greglloyd

greglloyd

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Hi Greg,

I am in the middle of building a 12 inch scope and I will be fitting a fan and fan speed controller. I bought the fan and controller from fleabay. The links are:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380828892344?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/311047221642?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

The fan was chosen because it's a very quiet model. However, when it came I found out it also had bright blue LEDs fitted - for the children who have to have sparkly lights  I suppose. Still, a quick modification with a pair of pliers sorted that out.  The fan plugs into the controller and it gives a good range of speeds. My idea - not tested - is to leave the fan running on slow speed while using the scope.

Good luck with the Christmas projects.

Regards, Hugh

Yep, they both look ideal. Are you planning to connect the speed controller to a cigarette lighter socket?

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greglloyd

greglloyd

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My only project for over the xmas period is the power mod for the EQ6.  I have the parts but am waiting on a 16mm drill bit. 

And no I have never found a need to heat the Primary.  I have a flocked OTA and the baffle for my cooling fan is made of foam matting and provides adequate insulation.

Yeah, it's not dewing during use but rather when it is in storage in the shed. The scope just gets too cold in there during these colder winter nights. It could just be a case of covering the scope to stop it radiating the heat away too quickly when in the shed. 

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hughgilhespie

hughgilhespie

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Yep, they both look ideal. Are you planning to connect the speed controller to a cigarette lighter socket?

Hi Greg,

I am actually building a power distribution box to fit on my pier so I will have power for the mount, dew heaters, fan, etc. all as closes as possible to the scope. The connectors I have chosen are from Maplin, 2-pole locking audio connectors, FK22Y and FM50E. The Maplin website is *rap but you will eventually find them.

Regards, Hugh

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nightfisher

nightfisher

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I hope to put a battery less servo on the Mak 150 focuser, got all the bits just a case of getting round to it, also i would like to fit a couple of cheap tracking motors to my skytee 2, but i think this might be above my skills due to a lack of tools

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Gina

Gina

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My virtually endless list of projects will continue much as usual as I'm retired and now only have myself to take care of.  Currently on go-slo due to ill health but that's improving.  The other limitation might be finances as my bank balance is trundling on running on empty and my CC is maxed out :eek:

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John

John

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I want to start on an alt-azimuth mount to hold my 6" F/12 refractor tube assembly. I have a massive tripod already and was thinking of constructing something along the lines of the mounts on this web page:

http://ejamison.net/refractordobmounts.html

Commercially made mounts to handle a tube of this length and weight seem to cost much more than the scope cost me so I'm hoping that careful use of 18mm baltic ply, teflon and laminate can deliver something that does the job :smiley:

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Grotemobile

Grotemobile

Posted
Posted

My  steam driven XP desktop, has just bit the dust.

I have spent hours, finding all the bits to build another

one.No fun in just buying one off  the shelf. Ended up

with, Asrock mobo,3.9- AMD duel core cpu,4gig ram as a

base.Got it all off of Amazon. Cheapest place,& I know it

is all going to turn up.It will be a Windows 7 system.

Xmas presi to me. :icon_santa:  :computer:  

Steve

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Horwig

Horwig

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I'm thinking of designing a machine that gets rid of clouds. Anybody else interested? :wink2:  :grin:

Huw

Last time I was out was Oct 1st !! 

But I've got an actual project I'm considering. I've been trying with little success to automate the focusing on my Borg scope. It has the 6x7 helicoid, which binds when loaded with my imaging train, so considering designing something like the FLI Atlas to sit between the helicoid and the imaging train for fine focusing.

Will start a thread for it if it gets off the ground.

Huw

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